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G. SACCO. .GAR STARTER ANDBRAKE.

No. 497,551. vPatented May 16, 1893.

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C. SACCO. GAR STARTER AND BRAKE.

No. 497,551. PatentedMay 16, 1893.

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(No Model.)

' 0. SACCO.

CAR STARTER AND BRAKE. No. 497,551. Patented May 16, 1893 INVENTOR:

WITNESSES; Mug? y www@ WMI/;

lili-siren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARLO SACCO, OF.TURIN, ITALY.

`CAR STARTER AND'BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 497,551, dated May I16, 1893.

Application tiled November 11, 1892. Serial No. 451,618. (No model.)

vices, especially adapted for horse-cars, where` by the stopping ot' the car stores up power to be utilized in starting the car or assisting the horses to start it.

The-object is to relieve the horses from the increased strain in overcoming the inertia of the car and its load.

In carrying out my invention l connect the brake-shoes `which clamp onv the wheels with a power accumulator, such as a spring, or preferably an air-compressor, whereby, when the brake-shoes or blocks are set on the wheels in stopping the car, they will be moved about with the wheels and by their movement charge the accumulator and when the car is started, the stored up power will reach on'the brake shoes to start the wheels ahead, thus overcoming, or assisting to overcome the inertia of the car. The apparatus is so arranged as to start the careither in the direction it was moving when stopped, or in the opposite direction. This is important in cases where the car, after reaching a terminus starts back again without turning around.

Having stated above the purpose of the invention and in a general wayits construction, I will now describe it more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereinl Y Figure l is a sectional elevation, in substantially the plane indicated byline l, 1, in Fig. 2,- of the principal part of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan showing the wheels, axles, doc., ot' a car and my apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an illustrative sectional view on a larger scale of the brake mechanism, and Figs. 3, 3l and 3C are detail views of the parts seen in Fig. 3. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic sectional views designed to aid in illustrating the operation of the device seen in Fig.

n Fig. 6 is a detached end View of the air cylinder of the accumulator. Fig. 7 is a plan, on

the same scale as Figs. 1 and 2, of the con# y trolling mechanism; and Fig. 7? is a perspective detail view of one of the features seen in Fig. 7.

On one car axle, A', are fixed the usual danged track wheels R and R4, and on the other axle, A2, are fixed the wheels R2 and R3. Oneach axle, between the wheels, are mounted two crank sleeves, those on axle A beinglettered B andiB?, and those on axle A2, lettered B2 and B3. These crank-sleeves may rotate about their respective axles but cannot slide longitudinally thereon. Each sleeve has on it, adjacent to the wheel of the car,two oppositely arranged radial arms, b, b, and on these arms, are mounted, respectively, sliding carriers, e, e, connected rigidly to brake shoes, c, c, which clamp the car wheel `ondiametri cally opposite sides.

On a fiange on the inner end (opposite to the arms b) of each crank-sleeve are two oppositely arranged crank-pins; those on sleeve B are lettered f; on sleeve B2, lettered f2; on sleeve Bf"` lettered f3, and on sleeve B4'Iettered f4. The crank-pins ofV each pair are set at right-angles to the arms b on the. same sleeve.l The upper crank-pin f and lower v crankpin,f2 are coupled together by a stout connecting-rod E', and the lower crank-pin ff and upper lcrank-piuf2 are coupled by a similar rod' E2. Thus the rods E and Ezcross each other in a vertical plane. In a like manner the upper crank-pinf, is coupled to the lower crank-pin]L14 byastout connectingrod, E3, and the lower pinfi"v is coupled tothe upper pin f4, by a similar rod, E4. On the same axle, theA pairs of brake-shoes on one wheel are at right-angles to those on the other, and the same is true with respect to the two wheels at one side of the car.

The apparatus or mechanism for clamping the pair ot' brake-shoes on the wheel -is mounted on the crank-sleeve and will be hereinafter described. I

Y The accumulator is situated between the car-axles and between the pairs, of crossed connecting rods, as seen in Fig. ,2,- and it` comprisesv a closed cylinder C, with l its axis arrangedv longitudinally a piston, D,therein, a piston-rod, d, and a U-shaped yoke, H, which is fixed by its cross-bar to the piston-rod .d and has slide bearings for its side-bars in guides G on the cylinder C. The accumulater is mounted on and supported solely by the several connecting-rods E', E2, E3, E4. Studs g and g3, on opposite sides of the cylinder and also at opposite ends thereof, find bearings, respectively, in the rods E and E3, and studs h2 and h4, on the yoke H, similarly arranged, find bearingsin the respective rods E2 and E4. Thus the accumulator is supported at four points. When the piston D is displaced inthe cylinder C, it compresses the air in front of it and forms a vacuu n1 behind it, thus storing up power like a spring, which it yields again on returning to its normal position. I prefer to close the cylinder at both ends so as to produce both compression and a vacuum, but I do not limit myself io this; either one or the other may be pro` duced alone. The cylinder will be somewhat longer than the travel of the piston. It will be seen by inspection of Figs. l and 2 that the cylinder and piston should displace themselves in opposite directions simultaneously and turn two of lthe crank-sleeves in one direction and two in the other. That is to say, we have here an arrangement for converting the rectilinear movement of the accumulator, into a rotary movement of the wheels, or vice versa, and in such a direction as may be desired according as we set the brakes on two of the wheels or on the other two.

The two side bars of the yoke I-I have ratch-` et teeth formed on them, and these teeth are engaged normally by pawls I, as seen in Figs. 2 and 6, mounted on the cylinder C. These pawls prevent the return movement of the piston D until the pawls are disengaged by a mechanism which is seen in Fig. 6. Fulerumed on the cylinder C at la, is a lever K, which is coupled to the respective pawls, above and below thefulcrum, by links t'. The pawls are held in engagement by aspring K. By moving the lever over to the right, as it is presented in Fig. 6, the pawls will be simultaneously disengaged.

So far as described, the operation is as follows: Suppose the car is moving from left to right, as presented in Figs. l and 2. To arrest it, the brake shoes are set on the wheels R' and R3 so tightly that they will be carried around with the wheels and will turn the crank-sleevesB and B3; the former, by means of the rods E and E2,displaces stud g' to the right and stud h2 to the left, and the latter, by means of the rods E3 and E4, displaces stud g3 to the right and stud h4 to the left. Under these conditions the cylinder C will be displaced to the right and the piston D to the left,until the resistance due to the tension of the air in the cylinder suffices -to arrest the further rotation of the wheels and cause them to slip which absorbs the remaining @is viva of the car and arrests it quickly. The other two crank-sleeves, B2 and B4, together with the brake-shoes on wheels R2 and R4, turn in the opposite direction, and freely, about the respective axles and the said wheels. The proportions are such that the brake-shoes are arrested before they turn far enough to strike the track rails. Enlargements at the ends of the side bars of the frame H engage the guides G and limit the movement in case the tension of the air within the cylinder should be insufficient. After the car stops, the brakeshoes are released and the pawls I prevent the piston from returning and maintain the tension in the cylinder.

To utilize the force stored u p for startn g the car, the brake-shoes are set on the wheels R2 and R4, and the pawls I disengaged by means that will be hereinafter explained. 'lhe tension within the cylinder returns thepiston to its first position and its movement is transmitted to the crank-sleeves B2 and B4, which return to their initial positions and rotate the wheels R2 and R4, thus setting the carin motion in the same direction in which it was moving when it was stopped. At the same time the crank-sleeves B and B3 bring their respective brake-shoes back to their initial positions, but without contact with their respective wheels. The piston having reached the end of the cylinder the car will stop if the brake-shoes in the wheels R2 and R4 are not released automatically, and this releasing is effected by means which will be hereinafter described. When the car is moving in the opposite direction the operation is analogous to that already described. In this case the brakes of the wheels R2 and R4 are set for arresting the car and those of the wheels R and R3 are set for starting it. It will be observed that after the car has been stopped the apparatus will be in the same position in whatever direction the car may have been moving and we may start the car in the opposite direction if that be desired. The wheels of a street car being usually fixed on the axles, it will be seen that both in starting and stopping the car the traction of all four of the wheels is utilized` although the brake-shoes are set only on one Wheel on each axle only, those diagonally opposite as shown herein.` It will also be observed that if the brakeshoes be set on the wheels with a force insufficient to cause theln to lnove with the wheels and compress the air in the cylinder, the brakes will perform the ordinary functions of brakes and check the momentum or Speed of the car in slowing down. This will be useful also in checking the car on down grades.

After what has been described it will be seen that the mechanisms for setting and controlling the brakes should satisfy the following conditions, viz: (a) For arresting the car, they-must set the brakes on the two diagonally opposite wheels and hold them setas well as to maintain the positions attained by the cylinder and piston, respectively. (b) For starting the car, they must set the brakes on the two other wheels but release them when the piston reaches the-bottom of the cylinder (in the position seen in Figs. l and 2) and when the brakes are set, the pawls I must be held out of engagement during the entire movement of the piston. (c) Fordescendnggrades,

the brakesmay be 'set with a comparatively light pressure, graduated at will.

The controlling mechanism should be operative from both ends of the car, and so thatthe operator may stand, by preference, on the front platform and properly control the starting and stopping when the car is moving in that direction; and the control should be effected by a single lever or crank, and with one operation or movement thereof. A mechanism for setting the brakes which will fulfill illustrateits action.A The controlling mech# anism is seen in Figs 7 and 7. l

-As the elements or parts in Fig. 3 may be taken to illustrate either of the four like -mechanisms corresponding to the'four wheels of the car, 'I have used in this view,and generally also in Figs. 4 and 5, the same letters of reference, A, B, R, &c., as in Fig. 3,`but have omitted thev numerals from the letters as not necessary. On the crank-sleeve B, is collared another sleeve L, capable of turning on the crank-sleeve but incapable of endwise movement thereon. On the sleeve L, exteriorly, there `is formed a long-pitchedl screw and two wide slots 4wherein slide two non#y screw-threaded sectors M. A box-nut N, em-4 braces the screw-threaded sleeve L. 'Project-l ing circumferential ribs m, on the sectors M, engage corresponding keeper grooves in the nut N, which latter carries these sectors with it in its longitudinal movement along the sleeve L, but the slots a: in which the sectors M play prevent the latter from rotating wi-thf the nut N. On the end of the box-nutN which is next .to the Wheel R, is collared a ring O, which is capable of turning about the nut N, but is compelled to follow the latter in its'endwise movement vby a circumferential liange on the nut.` The ring O is coupled to the slides e, e, by means of toggle-links?, P, which are coupled to the slides by pins e and to the ring by pins o. -The slides e are, as before stated, connected to the respective brake-shoes cg It will readily be seen by inspection that by rotating the box-nut N (from right to left as seen fromabove inFig. 3), or by turning the screw sleeve L in the opposite direction, the ring O will be driven in toward the wheel R and in so moving the'inclination of the toggle links will be increased, the slides l e drawn in and the shoes c set on the wheel. By rotating the parts in theopposite direction the toggle links will be shifted and the brake-shoes released. Each screwsleeve L has on it a crank arm Z, which'is pendent,l as to the wheels R and R2 and upright as to wheels R2 and R4. Likewise,'each box-nut N has a crank arm fn, which is upright 'as to wheels R and R3 and pendent asv to wheels R2 and R4. Four oblique, or verticallycrossed rods (see'Figs. l and 2), Q', Q2, QS'and'Q4 are coupled respectively tothe crank'arms'and yconnect them; that-is, rod Q2 couples crank arms `Zand l2 androd Q4 couples crank arms Z2 and Z4. Rod Q couples crank arms n? and n2, and rod Q3 couples crank arms n3 and n4. Fourother'rods, q', q2, g3, q?, connect the respective upright crank arms n,-Z4, Z2 and n2, with two transversely arranged controlling levers, S and S2, movable horizontally about fulcrum pins s and s2, set in the under sides of the respective'platforms at the ends of the car. Now if we tix` the lever S and move to the right the upper end of the lever S2A (as these parts are represented in Fig. 2)'the brakes will beset on the wheels R andv R2 and will arrest the car when moving from vleft to right. By Swingin g the lever S2 in the other direction the brakes will be set on the wheels R2 and R4, as is necessary for setting the car in motion in the same direct-ion. By fixing the lever S2 and operating the lever S to the right or left, the brakes will be set on the wheels R2 and R4 or on the wheels Rl and R2; that is, the car will be stopped and started whenmoving to the left. l

`The mechanism for automatically releasing thebrakes lafter the car'has been started'and the storedpower has been expended, willnow be described with reference to Figs. 3, 32, 3b, 3C, 4. and 5. The flanged extremity of the box-nut N, (seenin Fig. 3c) where it engages the hollow in the ring O, (seen in; sectional perspective in Fig. 3C) has two projecting sectors, n', which are always in the same plane with the outer ends ofv faces of the sectorsM.

The hollowwithin the ring Ohas also two' projecting sectors o', which are wide enough, radially, to bear on the ends ofboth the sectors M and theV sectors n', when the brakes are being set. 1 f

The diagrams, Figs. 4 and 5, represent schematically the positions of the parts and their functions. A is the axle, and B fthe cranksleeve, in section. L represents the end of the screw sleeve; M,"M, the sliding sectors, lightly section-lined n', n', the projecting sectorson the box-nut N, also section-lined; the exterior segments, o', o', represented in full section lines, showin a conventional manner the positions of the sectors on the ring O when the. piston D is at the bottom of the cyl piston is at the other end of the cylinderand the air is under tension: The lines b', b', mark the radial .positions of the arms b and the brake shoes under the first condition named above, andthe lines b2,'h2,'mark the position of the arms b lunder the last condition named above. lThe arrows in .full llines mark the direction of the movement of the parts when the car is being :arrested and the dotted arrows represent the direction of their movement when the' car `isbeing started.

Fig. 4t `has relation to the parts on the axle A2, and Fig. 5, to the parts on'axle A.

As Ahas beenrsaid, in thev movement tothe Izo from o toward o2, still bearing on the sectors n of the box-nut, and on the sectors M. In bringing the lever S back to its place, the

`brakes are released, but the sectors on the ring O4 remain in the position o2. 'lhe brake shoes and ring of wheel R will make the same movement, but without effect, for the movementgiven tothe box-nut N will have moved away the shoes from the wheel. To start the car the lever S is moved in the opposite direction; the box-'nut N turnsin the direction indicated by the dotted arrow in Fig. 5, and sets the brake-shoes on the wheel R. means of the force stored in the accumulator, the crank sleeve B', together with its arms, the brake shoes and the ring, turn from b2 toward b. During nearly the whole of the movement, the sectors o2 continue to bear on the sectors M and n', but on nearing 0';- that is, the end ot' its course,-they lose their bearing on the sectors M and n and register with the recesses between the respective pairs of sectors M and n; the ring O then recoils and releases the brakes, leaving the wheel free to turn. In bringing the lever S to its place, the box-nut N returns also to the position seen in the drawings, drawing back and moving its sectors n', back of or behind the sectors o of the ring O', again. This is permitted by the forming of bevels or inclines on the advancing corners of the sectors n, as seen at nx in Fig. 32. The apparatus on the other axle is similarly arranged and is represented in Figs. 32 and 4. As in this particular mechanism the boxmut Ncomes into play in the stopping of the car and the sectors M, in the starting, these latter will be beveled as seen in Fig. 3b at mx. That is to say, in the devices connected with the wheels R2 and R4, the sectors M are beveled, and in the corresponding devices connected with the wheels R and R2, the sectors n will be beveled.

It remains to be explained how the operator or car-driver manipulates the levers S and S2, and how the pawlsI are disengaged on starting the car. In Fig. 7 the dotted or broken lines represent the principal parts of the platform and running gears of the car, and the controlling mechanism, which is mounted on the car platform, :is represented in full lines. The mechanisms at the two ends of the car are analogous but not symmetrical. T T2, are two upright brake-shafts, situated at the respective end-platforms of the car in the usual way. They will be supplied with handwheels or cranks at their upper ends as usual. To their lower ends are secured respectively the brake chains t', and t2. These chains are secured respectively to elbow-levers U and U2, which rock, respectively, on pivots u' and u2. One arm of each of these elbow levers has fulcrumed on it, (see Fig. 7) by the respective pivots c and c2, two straight levers, V and V2. To the short arms ot these latter are-coupled respectively the rods W and W2, which latter are coupled, at their other ends, respectively, to the levers S and S2. To the longer arms are coupled, respectively, rods X and X2, which are connected by slotted couplings at their other ends, respectively to levers e" and z2, pivoted on the car platform and coupled at their other ends to a floating link or bar Z, the levers being on opposite sides of said bar. The upper end ot' the lever K (seen in elevation in Fig. 6), in the move ment of the cylinder C, moves lengthwise of and along one side of the bar Z. A spring Z arranged as clearly shown in Fig. 7, tends to draw the bar Z laterally away from the lever K. Two rockshafts, Y and Y2 supported in bearings on the platform, serve to arrest the movements of the respective levers S and S2, when they are so turned that keepers, 'y' and y2, thereon, embrace the said levers.

The mechanism operates as follows: Suppose that the car is moving from right to left. The lever S should be free and the lever S2 held fast by the keeper or locking device y2 on the shaft Y2. To stop the car the driver turns to the rightthe shaftT, which, through the chain t', causes the elbow lever U to rock or turn in a like direction, and through the latter to carry to the left the pivot c of the lever V. The longer arm of this lever V cannot follow the movement because of a stud of the rod X striking against a stop, w', on the car platform. On the contrary, the rod W is displaced to the left and swings the lever S which sets the brakes on the wheels R2 and R4 and through their rotation compresses the air in the cylinder O. For starting the car, the brake-shaft 'l" is turned in the opposite direction. The fulcrum pivot 'u' is moved to the right, thus shifting the lever S' through the rod W', which sets the brakes on the wheels R and R2; afterward, if the brake-shaft be further rotated, the rod W', not moving further, serves as a fulcrum for the lever V', and the `longer arm of the latter pushes the rod X to the right, and through it swings to the right the levers a and z2, and the bar Z; this latter pushes over the lever K and releases the pawls I. Then the piston D moves back in the cylinder C and sets the carin motion. In the movement o'f the car to the right, the controlling mechanism at the other end et' the car will be ernployed in a similar manner.

The form and proportions of the mechanisms may be varied to adapt them to different kinds of cars. Some of the mechanical elements ought to be in several pieces instead of integral; for example the sleeves on the axles will best be in halves divided longi- IOO IIG

thereon.

tudinally so that they may be applied the more readily to axles having the wheels fixed I have not shown these details in the drawings as they would 'only tend to obscure.

Having thus described my invention, I claim n l. A car-starter or reaction brake, comprising crank-sleeves on the axles, brake-shoes carried by the same, means for setting the brake shoes on the wheels, an accumulator, and the crossed connecting rods coupled at their ends to the cranks of the respective crank-sleeves, theV elements of the accumulator being coupled to the respective connecting-rods, whereby the rotation of the sleeves is converted into rectilinear movement of the I accumulator, or vice versa, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-starter or reaction brake, the combination to form an accumulator, of a closed cylinder, a piston therein, a piston-rod connected to said piston, and a yoke, the cross-piece of Which is connected to the piston-rod, and the slide-bars mounted in guides on the cylinder.

3. In a car-starter or reaction brake, the combination with the crank-sleeve B,the axles, provided with arms b, the brake-shoes, the carriers therefor mounted on said arms, the ring 0,'coupled by links to said carriers, the said links, the screw sleeve L, mounted on the crank sleeve B, the box-nut N, mounted on the sleeve L, and means substantially as described for rotating the sleeves L and B with respect to each other whereby the brake-shoes are set, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-starter or reaction brake wherein the setting of the brakes serves to compress air in a cylinder, the combination with the accumulator cylinder, its piston and pistonrod, and the yoke H, provided with ratchet teeth, of` a pawl I, adapted to engage said teeth normally, disengaging lever K on the cylinder connectedwith the pawl, the floating bar Z, connected to two levers z and adapted, when either lever e' is moved, to strike and operate the lever K, in Whatever position the cylinder may be occupying, the said levers z, and means substantially as described for operating said levers from the re- Sp'ective ends of the car, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-starter or reaction brake, the combination with a brake-shaft, T', on the car, an elbow lever U', coupled at each end to the brake-shaft'bya chain, the said chains, the levers V', fulcrumed on one arm, of the lever U', the lever S', the rod W', coupled at one end to one arm of the lever V', and at the other end to the lever S', the lever z', the rod X', coupled at one end to the other arm of the lever V', and having a slotted connection at its other end with the lever z', the

floating bar Z, coupled to the lever z', and a stop device to limit the endwise movement of the rod X inone direction, said mecham ism serving to enable the operator to operate the mechanism for setting and releasing the brakes and for setting free the piston of the accumulator, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto'signed myfna'me in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARLO SACCO.

Witnesses:

AUG. CARLO FRANoEsETTI, SECONDO TORTA. 

